Where in City of London does a drawing package actually get determined?
Every City of London postcode district we draw in, the stock that dominates
it and the authority that validates a drawing package there. City of London fees below are the
statutory England rates for 2026, not drawing package estimates.
| Postcode | Area | Dominant stock | What it means for a drawing package |
|---|
| EC1A | Smithfield | Mostly commercial, residential lofts | EC1A covers Smithfield only; City of London Corporation handles the drawing package, and Smithfield case officers apply the EC1A conservation-area map. |
| EC2Y | Barbican | Listed Brutalist apartments (Barbican Estate) | Barbican sits wholly inside EC2Y, so City of London Corporation validates every drawing package submitted from an EC2Y address. |
| EC3N | Tower Hill / Aldgate | Very limited residential — Barbican Estate (listed post-war) | EC3N covers Tower Hill / Aldgate only; City of London Corporation handles the drawing package, and Tower Hill / Aldgate case officers apply the EC3N conservation-area map. |
| EC4M | St Paul's | Mostly commercial, listed residential | St Paul's sits wholly inside EC4M, so City of London Corporation validates every drawing package submitted from an EC4M address. |
| EC4V | Blackfriars | Very limited residential — Barbican Estate (listed post-war) | A drawing package at an EC4V address in Blackfriars is determined by City of London Corporation under its own Local Plan policies for Blackfriars. |
| EC4Y | Temple | Very limited residential — Barbican Estate (listed post-war) | Temple sits wholly inside EC4Y, so City of London Corporation validates every drawing package submitted from an EC4Y address. |
| EC2A | Shoreditch | Warehouse conversions, modern infill | A drawing package in Shoreditch may land with Hackney Council or City of London Corporation — EC2A crosses the boundary, and the EC2A policies map decides it street by street. |
Which City of London neighbourhoods suit a drawing package best?
Roof pitch, wall build-up and plot depth change every few City of London
streets, and each one changes what a drawing package can achieve at that address.
- Barbican (EC2Y) — drawing package work in Barbican means listed brutalist apartments (barbican estate). Barbican is Brutalist listed estate. throughout EC2Y. City of London Corporation decides the Barbican application, and Barbican Centre anchors the Barbican location plan.
- Smithfield (EC1A) — Georgian and Victorian commercial defines Smithfield, where mostly commercial, residential lofts set what a drawing package can do. across EC1A. Any Smithfield drawing package is validated by City of London Corporation, with Smithfield Market the usual Smithfield reference point on the site plan.
- Fleet Street (EC4) — Georgian and Victorian commercial defines Fleet Street, where mostly commercial, residential conversions set what a drawing package can do. across EC4. Any Fleet Street drawing package is validated by City of London Corporation, with Royal Courts of Justice the usual Fleet Street reference point on the site plan.
- St Paul's (EC4M) — drawing package work in St Paul's means mostly commercial, listed residential. St Paul's is Listed heritage commercial core. throughout EC4M. City of London Corporation decides the St Paul's application, and St Paul's Cathedral anchors the St Paul's location plan.
Does City of London planning policy restrict a drawing package?
Conservation areas covering City of London: City of London Corporation runs 27, and St Paul's, Barbican, Smithfield are the ones City of London owners meet most. A drawing package inside a City of London conservation area loses permitted development, so the City of London submission is a householder application at £258 decided in 8 weeks — not a £120 prior approval decided in 6 weeks. In Whitefriars a drawing package is judged on the street elevation first.
City of London and Article 4: Multiple Article 4 Directions around office-to-residential, demolition, and shopfront changes. A drawing package planned at a EC1A address is checked against that direction first; City of London Corporation publishes the City of London extent, and the EC1A line rarely follows the City of London boundary you would expect.
What City of London is built from: Very limited residential — Barbican Estate (listed post-war), Golden Lane Estate, modern luxury flats; overwhelmingly commercial. Overwhelmingly commercial; residential planning extremely constrained; listed building density the highest of any London borough. That mix decides the drawing package route in City of London more than the postcode does. Our fixed fee for architectural drawings in City of London starts at £840, against £1,750 for the Complete package that carries a City of London scheme through City of London Corporation planning and building regulations together.
What happens if a City of London property sits on a boundary?
- Islington — adjoining City of London, with 40 conservation areas centred on N1. A drawing package on the far side of the City of London line is determined by Islington Council, so the City of London quote for architectural drawings is checked against Islington guidance before it is issued.
- Hackney — the Hackney boundary runs against City of London, so a drawing package a street from City of London is decided by Hackney Council instead. Hackney runs 29 conservation areas across E2 and its neighbours, which is why architectural drawings priced for City of London are re-checked against Hackney policy whenever the City of London address sits on that edge.
- Tower Hamlets — the Tower Hamlets boundary runs against City of London, so a drawing package a street from City of London is decided by Tower Hamlets Council instead. Tower Hamlets runs 58 conservation areas across E1 and its neighbours, which is why architectural drawings priced for City of London are re-checked against Tower Hamlets policy whenever the City of London address sits on that edge.
- Southwark — the Southwark boundary runs against City of London, so a drawing package a street from City of London is decided by Southwark Council instead. Southwark runs 43 conservation areas across SE1 and its neighbours, which is why architectural drawings priced for City of London are re-checked against Southwark policy whenever the City of London address sits on that edge.
Sources for this City of London drawing package page: borough policies maps and
conservation-area registers (2025–26), Royal Mail postcode district boundaries,
the Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications) (England) Regulations, the Town
and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 as amended,
and the Party Wall etc. Act 1996.
